Media Reality Check: Networks Pretend Kagan's Mind Is a Mystery

When George W. Bush nominated judges John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, the networks routinely described them as "conservative" and even "very conservative" and "ultraconservative." Last year they applied more “conservative” tags to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's critics than “liberal” labels to her. But the early stories on President Obama’s nomination of Elena Kagan…
Tim Graham
May 11th, 2010 4:23 PM

USA Today Says Taxes are Low, Downplays Temporary Nature of Tax Cuts

Tax bills fell to the lowest level since 1950 in 2009, according to a new analysis from USA Today. But don't be fooled into thinking that's a good thing. The newspaper downplayed the pain caused by the recession and the fact that the downturn lowered both incomes and consumption. USA Today undermined criticism of taxes saying, "Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller…
Julia A. Seymour
May 11th, 2010 3:59 PM

'Law and Order' Pushes For Gay Marriage

NBC’s “Law and Order” has been known to promote a liberal agenda and the May 10 episode was no exception. “The Taxman Cometh” followed the New York City detectives as they tried to prove that three wealthy families purposely allowed an ailing member of their family to die during 2010, since the inheritance tax isn’t in effect. But the twisted plotline included blatant support for gay marriage.…
Sarah Knoploh
May 11th, 2010 3:47 PM

New Reality Show Will Auction off Virgins

It’s no secret that reality shows on television can sometimes promote less than ideal values. From “Tila Tequila” to “The Jersey Shore,” viewers are often subjected to the culture of hookups and nonstop partying. But a new reality show is actually going to auction off virgins to the highest bidder. According to the New York Post, two women and one male virgin will be auctioned off to the highest…
Sarah Knoploh
May 11th, 2010 2:41 PM

NYT's Baker: Obama Pick Elena Kagan a 'Liberal,' But Only 'in Moderati

Do Republican presidents really pick "strong conservatives" for Supreme Court nominations, while Democrats are reduced to picking moderates who end up disappointing true liberals? Clinton's 1993 liberal nominee, former ACLU lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg, would seem to rebut that view, as would George H.W. Bush's 1990 selection of David Souter, who moved to the left upon appointment to the dismay of…
Clay Waters
May 11th, 2010 2:03 PM

BP Spill Triggers Gusher of Idiocy From Ed Schultz

Judging from his reaction to the BP oil spill, I wonder if liberal radio host and MSNBC bobblehead Ed Schultz is down a quart. Schultz provided a stream of alarming commentary on his radio show last week about the Deepwater Horizon disaster, remarks that were unintentionally revealing of what passes for thought beneath. Here's Schultz complaining about Democrats in Congress pushing to raise oil…
Jack Coleman
May 11th, 2010 1:29 PM

CBS 'Early Show' Sees Kagan As Not Liberal Enough, Maybe on the Right

In an interview with Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith lamented President Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court: "Liberals feel let down because she would be filling a seat left by John Paul Stevens, they don't feel like she's enough – has enough gravitas to fill his shoes." In his first question to Biden, Smith fretted: "Some people have…
Kyle Drennen
May 11th, 2010 12:56 PM

FNC's O'Reilly, Bernard Goldberg Discuss MRC Arizona Immigration Study

Last night on his program, Bill O'Reilly talked with Fox News contributor and friend of the Media Research Center Bernard Goldberg about the findings of an MRC study on the media's coverage of the new Arizona anti-illegal immigration law.[MP3 audio available for download here; for WMV video click here] Goldberg noted that he had a minor quibble with our study, arguing that stories focused on…
NB Staff
May 11th, 2010 12:50 PM

MSNBC Plays Up Talking Point That Kagan May Not Be 'Liberal Enough

Twice in the span of ten minutes, MSNBC on Tuesday ran segments touting left-wing complaints that Elena Kagan may not be "liberal enough." News Live host Peter Alexander seriously speculated of the Supreme Court pick: "...But who is really most frustrated with the pick? It seems as many liberal groups are upset by this as are conservatives." Later in the 10am hour, Alexander worried, "And also…
Scott Whitlock
May 11th, 2010 12:45 PM

Video: Olbermann vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks

EyeBlast.tv Staff
May 11th, 2010 12:38 PM

Randi Rhodes Feels the Pain of Oppressed Liberals Forced to Distort Th

Left-wing radio host Randi Rhodes celebrated her one-year anniversary with Premiere Radio Networks on Friday’s show with her producer Dave giving her flowers. He oozed: "I just wanted to thank you because when we first started working together I said you rescued me like an oily bird on the shore of right-wing ideology, and I’ll always, forever be thankful." This spurred Rhodes to mourn the…
Tim Graham
May 11th, 2010 11:33 AM

Surprise! Lauer to Biden: Isn't Job of Justice Only to Interpret Const

In what may be a sign of the media's confidence that Elena Kagan will be easily confirmed to the Supreme Court, NBC's Matt Lauer, on Tuesday's Today show, didn't feel the need to sell Kagan to viewers and actually asked somewhat tough questions to Vice President Joe Biden. Lauer even hit Biden from the right when he asked the following: "When we say maybe does she or does she not understand the…
Geoffrey Dickens
May 11th, 2010 11:07 AM

Open Thread

NB Staff
May 11th, 2010 10:31 AM

KPHO: Altered Video, Altered Message

A former Vietnam veteran wanted the American people to know just how easy it was for illegal aliens to enter our southern border, so he set up cameras along the route and posted the video on his website. Many people came to his website, borderinvasionpics.com (BIP), including the local CBS affiliate in Phoenix, KPHO. The affiliate was obviously so impressed with what they saw, they downloaded…
Bob Parks
May 11th, 2010 10:11 AM